1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to attachments for the boom structure and hydraulic system of a mobile power source such as a hydraulic excavator, tractor, or the like, and in particular to such attachment that are used for handling metal scrap.
2. Background
Metal scrap, and in particular, automobile bodies, represent an important recyclable resource of various metals. However, the scrap metal industry traditionally operates on very slim margins, and thus, to profitably handle such materials they must be processed as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Junked automobiles present a particular problem, primarily due to their size, which prevents their efficient transport to central processing plants that shred or melt such scrap. Thus, various equipment has been designed to compress or compact automobiles to a smaller size to facilitate their shipment in greater numbers on a given truck or rail car.
Such compressing equipment generally consists of large, stationary presses. Such presses generally operate hydraulically to either compact the automobile in both a longitudinal and vertical direction thereby forming a bale, or by simply flattening in only a vertical direction. In either case, the automobile is reduced substantially in volume, and thus, can be more cost effectively transported.
However, such presses are generally very expensive and are of limited use as they are dedicated primarily to the single purpose of compacting automobiles. Thus, smaller scrap dealer cannot justify the expense of such a machine, and therefore must continue to transport automobile bodies to yards having such equipment or to processing stations, in their uneconomical full size form.